This is a f-ing crazy job application…

Posted by random olio

When I came across this Fast Company article titled: “Are you a social strategist? Can you make your mom a star on Twitter? Wieden + Kennedy wants you.” Wow. Wieden + Kennedy is savvy. If you have not heard of them they are a local and famous ad agency. As I read over the job description I was dumbfounded. While it would be such a forward movement for a career to work for Wieden + Kennedy, I think reading this job description made me feel old.

You might not be able to read the article entirely unless you subscribe, so I will do a short recap so you understand a bit of the context. Wieden + Kennedy is looking for a social strategist for their Old Spice campaign. They are looking for someone to “shake things up in the social sphere.” Below are the options someone could try when they apply, with my additional notes after each:

Challenge 1 – Create the best original Pinterest board dedicated to the sport of inline speed skating (NOT roller-hockey). Um. Inline speed skating. Not my thing, so no interest there to create the best Pinterest board. Sorry folks.

Challenge 2 – Create and post an original piece of content to Reddit that then receives the most upvotes in a single week. Wow. I think I might be starting to break a sweat.

Challenge 3 – Create and upload to SlideShare an original, in-depth competitive analysis of the Ed Hardy social media ecosystem. I would have no idea where to even start on this one.

Challenge 4 – Get the most people to friend your mother or your father (or a parent-like figure in your life) on Facebook in a single week. My mother and father are no longer living. Not even remotely interested in this one.

Challenge 5 – Create an original (new) Twitter account and then use it to get the most followers in a week using any verbs you like, but only the following nouns: “BLUEFUDGE,” “HAMMERPANTS” and “GREEK YOGURT.” Um. Seriously. I would love to see results from this challenge.

Challenge 6 – Create an original YouTube video that then receives the most plays in a single week using this script verbatim:
#1: “Wait. What are you doing?”
#2: “Trust me. This will be fine.”
#1: “Ok. Go ahead.” No comment.

Challenge 7 – Get recommendations on LinkedIn from at least three other people trying to get this job. I think this one could top the charts if successful.

Challenge 8 – Create the most reviewed recipe on allrecipes.com in a single week using cottage cheese as an ingredient. The reviews don’t have to be good. I’m in! Food bloggers unite!

Challenge 9 – Upload the most pictures of your armpit(s) to Instagram during the course of this challenge. The pictures must have your face in them to verify your identity and include the hashtag #mypits. Um. Gross. Especially since I started sweating reading Challenge 2.

Challenge 10 – Using Quora, give thought-out, meaningful answers to as many dream catcher-related questions as possible in a single week. How many could there really be?

Whew. I am exhausted. Are you? So if you wanted to be the social strategist for Wieden + Kennedy which challenge would you pick? Cottage cheese? That one seemed like the easiest and I do not even cook. Job searches, resumes, and online applications have been taken to a whole new level. What will be next?

Balance, hard work, and play…

Posted by random olio

Does your life ever feel balanced? Often one thing or another is out of whack. Either we are working too much, or someone is consuming our time, or we are socializing too much and we feel the effects of the imbalance in our life. Yesterday’s Daily Om on balance hit home for me because it has always been something I have struggled with – finding a balance in my life. I love this quote from this Daily Om:

“Balance is the state that you achieve when all of the aspects of your life and self are in harmony. Your life force flows in a state of equilibrium because nothing feels out of sync. While balance is necessary to have a satisfying, energetic, and joyful life, only you can determine what balance means to you.”

Why does finding a balance seem to be so hard for so many? Is it because we have high aspirations and want to accomplish so much in our lives? Do we say yes to all things we are interested in, and there truly is not enough time in the day? There are days when I work long hours, write my blog, spend time with Chris, go for my run (and read at the same time) and crawl into bed and in a few short minutes I am asleep. I love all the different activities that fill my life, but there are times when too much feels like too much.

My issue might be that I immerse myself in the world I am in. I work hard. I have high expectations for myself. I do not like to give up. Ever. If only I could have high expectations for play. For learning how to relax. Chris does a great job at pushing me to relax each day, but it is something that I need to learn to also balance on my own. I often ask myself: Why is it so hard to relax? How can I better learn how to balance my life between work and play?

What do you do to find a balance in your life?

“How would you like your Graphic Design?”

Posted by random olio

Recently, I wrote a blog about “The Rule of Two-Thirds.” Last week at work someone shared the below image with me. I love it, because it is visual and it visually goes a bit deeper than The Rule of Two-Thirds. You might have to click on the image to see some of the areas that are in smaller font. It looks like it was originally designed by Colin Harmon, but the link does not work on his site, so I found it on this website for infographics.

How would you like your graphic design?

I like: the fast + great = you get what you pay for. Fast + free = trash. Fast + cheap + great = Impossible Utopia. Fast + cheap = Dipped in ugly sauce with haste and carelessness.

It is a great visual as well as conversation for individuals that ask for marketing or design services and they want it right now, or they want it cheaply. It is a great way to show clients what they will get in return for what they are willing to pay or put forth for your services.

I also think that while this infographic is titled: “How would you like your graphic design?” this infographic could be altered for many different situations.

Enjoy!

Does Silence Mean Disagreement?

Posted by random olio

For a while, I have wondered, if silence sometimes means disagreement. You are out with friends, or involved in a long work meeting. A friend at the table, or a colleague in your work meeting is quiet most of the time. Are they bored? Do they think most of the conversation is small talk? Why are they not talking? I read an article recently (I wish I remembered where is was) about silence = disagreement. The idea has not left my head. Instead, it has been silently percolating in my thoughts over the past few weeks. It has meant that I have watched interactions with others and when I find someone not speak up, I wonder if they disagree, but have decided to not speak up.

What do you do in those situations? I find that for the most part, I am usually completely transparent and share just what is on my mind. I sometimes wonder if I should keep my mouth shut more. Maybe silence is not always so bad? Does it truly mean that you disagree, or does it mean you maybe just do not care? Or does it mean you do not feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts and opinion?

What do you think? If you are silent in certain situations, why are you silent? Do you always feel comfortable, or is silence a sign of your discomfort? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

“The Law of Two-Thirds”

Posted by random olio

I love to share a good thing. Whether that is my new favorite restaurant, or a referral for a hair stylist. It does not matter. Sharing a good thing feels good. So thank you, John, for sharing this great blog, and the idea of the two-thirds rule with me.

The full blog post is from “Start from Why.” The blog post explains that out of these three, we can only have two:

Quality
Speed
Price

He explains that if we want fast food, we are not after quality, but we want it quick and cheap. If we are buying a new luxury car, we want quality and price, but want it done well, so we do not care as much about speed, and are willing to wait. What areas of your professional and personal life follow The Law of Two-Thirds? Are there projects you are working on that you know you will have to sacrifice quality because you are asked to do it quickly and cheaply? Or do you have projects where quality matters, and so you sacrifice speed?

It makes me think about the many times where it is hard for me to sacrifice quality. When my name is attached to anything I am working on, I want quality to come first. We do not always have that choice. Many times money is the driving force to how we have to approach what we do. Yet, so is speed. In this world of now, now, fast, now, speed tends to be the focus. So does that mean that many of the times what is lost is quality?

I hope not. I hope that quality eventually becomes the most important aspect of The Law of Two-Thirds. What do you think?